Apparatuses and methods hereof relate generally to science toys and/or teaching devices, and more particularly to toys or devices that can be used for conducting, presenting and/or observing science experiments involving erupting fluids.
Experimenters have used various devices and/or methods for conducting fluid dynamic experiments or presentations involving an eruption of a fluid from a container. In situations where a solid catalyst may be dropped into an eruptible fluid to cause an eruption of that fluid, the methodological examples may range from simply manually dropping one or more solid reaction-causing articles, such as candy, directly into a bottle filled with an eruptible fluid such as soda, to using specific types of aids or devices for putting a catalytic solid in contact with an eruptible fluid. For example, experimenters have used devices such as metal or plastic tubes or a piece of paper rolled into a tube, or other containers, for holding one or more catalytic solids then, simply positioning these relative to the fluid and dropping the solids into eruptible fluid. Other previous methods for orchestrating such an eruptive solid/liquid reaction involve disposing a catalytic solid within such a tube or tubing and retaining this therein with a playing-card or other discrete, flat triggering device. However, due to the rapid nature of some such reactions and subsequent eruptions, currently available methods and devices have often offered inadequate control over the timing or results of such a reaction. In many such reactions, any of these prior methods would require dexterity and quickness in removal of the tube or other holding device to avoid interference with the liquid ‘geyser’ that can shoot tens of feet up into the air.